Bio

Klitschko has held a piece of the World Heavyweight Championship since 2006, when he defeated Chris Byrd to win the International Boxing Federation world championship. In addition to that title, Klitschko is the reigning champion of two of the other three major sanctioning bodies, the World Boxing Association (which recognizes him as its Super champion) and the World Boxing Organization, as well as the International Boxing Organization’s championship. He has held the IBO championship since defeating Byrd, the WBO championship since defeating Sultan Ibragimov in 2008, and the WBA championship since defeating David Haye in 2011. Klitschko is also recognized as champion by The Ring and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and is considered by many to be the lineal heavyweight champion. He was awarded The Ring championship when he defeated Ruslan Chagaev in 2009. Overall, he is the second longest reigning Heavyweight Champion of all time and has the second most successful title defenses total of any heavyweight boxer with 23 (including his initial reign as a WBO champion), behind just Joe Louis (25) and ahead of Larry Holmes (20) and Muhammad Ali (19). He currently has 18 consecutive title defenses, behind Joe Louis’s 25 consecutive title defenses and Larry Holmes’s 20 consecutive title defenses. On October 13, 2013, Boxrec rated Klitschko as the number two pound-for-pound fighter in the world. On 15 November 2014, he reached a career peak of number two on the pound-for-pound list of The Ring. Klitschko is tied on the all-time list for most heavyweight title fights with Joe Louis as they both have appeared in 27 heavyweight title fights. However, Klitschko is set to surpass Louis’ record on October 24, 2015, when he is to step into the ring to face Tyson Fury to defend his heavyweight titles.”